During my first year in high school, I started to learn more about personal development. I told the story about it in Why Invest in Personal Development.
My First Investment
One day, on my way home, I saw used books sold for five and ten pesos. Before this, most of the books I read are primarily textbooks. I bought the following:
- On Writing Well by William Zinsser,
- Elements of Style by William Strunk,
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill,
- On Selling (I forgot the author),
- a book on world history,
- one on homeopathy (only because it sounds interesting),
- one on speaking with confidence, and
- How to Make Friends and Influence People by Carnegie.
I encourage people to read these books too.
Though I belonged to the first section, I was not confident. My classmates were mostly honor students when we were in elementary.
I did not know how to speak English well. Though I read a lot, I found it challenging to speak in front of groups. I had many insecurities. I was not sure of my pronunciation and my grammar.
But because of these books, I started to stand and take risks. For example, the book How to Make Friends and Influence People was a great confidence booster. It was like I knew something which my classmates did not know.
I joined a student organization where I became one of the leaders. I applied the principles and techniques I learned from the books.
In the beginning, there were less than 20 members of the organization. I volunteered to do room-to-room promotions and spoke in front of students. As a result, the membership grew ten times.
Because of personal development, I overcame many obstacles in life. I learned to try new ways and see many problems from new perspectives.
After high school, I entered a seminary to study for the priesthood. Though I was not the brightest, I became the leader of my batch.
I had more opportunities in front of people. I taught catechism, handled retreats, and facilitated leadership programs for student leaders.
People get inspired by what I did. And all thanks to the personal development journey I started in first-year high school.
After the seminary days, I left to study Political Science. I became a student leader, debater, writer, and founder of a theater group.
In retrospect, the books I bought for five and ten pesos greatly influenced how I overcame the many obstacles in my life, positively touched people’s lives, and became a leader.
When I became a teacher, I taught the many principles that guided me to my students too.
Many teachers dread attending seminars. But knowing the value of personal growth, I continued attending workshops and seminars on communication skills and leadership. In addition, I joined Toastmasters, studied theater, and volunteered at local charities.
Personal development helps individuals, and the people around them.
The ripple effect of personal development for me was immediate. I shared the lessons I learned with my friends. And many of them became confident too.
In my third year in high school, I learned I did not have to become so good in English to share my story. I spoke to an assembly of more than 3000 students.
When I became a teacher, I pursued learning more. I said I could not give what I did not have.
The truth, whatever little thing I had inspired many people. And whatever they learned, they shared with others too.
I must have trained more than 50,000 leaders in the last fifteen years. And my blog must have been read by more than 3 million people in the previous ten years.
When you deliberately work on one aspect of personal development, the other aspects grow too. When you focus on personal growth, those around you will notice your positive impact on their lives. You will become an inspiration to them.
Personal development is a multiplier. When you pay attention to your personal growth, those around you will grow too.
I encourage you to pursue personal development to create more ripples in the lives of others.
Create the Ripples in Your Life
How can you create a positive impact on your own life and the lives of those around you?
You already know the answer: personal development.
By focusing on self-improvement, you can create ripples of change that inspire others to follow suit.
Let me share some simple yet powerful steps to kickstart your journey.
Take a moment to reflect on yourself. Identify your strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and the results you want. Creating a personal development plan that aligns with your aspirations and ambitions is essential.
Next, embrace the power of learning. Seek out new experiences, whether it’s through workshops, online courses, books, or podcasts. A growth mindset is crucial – view challenges as opportunities and remember that failure is a stepping stone to success.
When setting goals, consider this formula: From X to Y by When. This simple formula will guide your progress and keep you focused. Self-discipline is critical to staying on track, so hold yourself accountable and maintain a consistent routine.
Don’t shy away from feedback. Reach out to peers, mentors, or supervisors for constructive criticism. Identify areas for improvement and track your progress more effectively.
Networking and connecting with like-minded individuals will also enrich your personal development experience, so attend events or join online communities to share ideas and knowledge.
As you progress on your development journey, take the time to share your story with others. Your experiences, successes, and challenges can inspire and encourage those around you.
Offer guidance and support to others, and create a community centered around growth and learning. Look for people who need the same thing you do. It is also easier to learn when I share what I am learning with others.
Finally, remember to celebrate your progress. Recognize and appreciate the milestones you achieve, using them as motivation to continue moving forward.
Personal development is a continuous process, and by taking these steps, you’ll experience personal growth and create ripples of change that positively impact the lives of others.
Create Ripples in Your Organization
Now that I have given you the ripple effects of personal development in my life, I encourage you to bring it to your organization.
As a leader, you can shape the culture of your organization. Imagine what great things you can create if everyone in your organization becomes a ripple maker.
Bringing the ripple effect of personal development into your organization involves creating a culture that values growth, learning, and continuous improvement.
Here are some steps you can take to foster this environment and encourage the positive impact of personal development:
Lead by example. As a leader, demonstrate your commitment to personal development by setting goals, attending workshops or courses, and sharing your learnings with your team.
Encourage learning and development. Offer opportunities for employees to grow, such as workshops, seminars, or online courses. Provide resources like books, articles, or subscriptions to educational platforms.
Set clear expectations. Communicate the importance of personal development to your team and set expectations for their growth. Please encourage them to set and achieve personal development goals.
Create a supportive environment. Foster a culture of trust, open communication, and collaboration. Encourage employees to seek feedback and provide constructive criticism to help each other grow.
Recognize and reward growth. Acknowledge and celebrate employees’ personal development achievements, whether it’s gaining new skills, earning a certification, or implementing a successful project.
Implement mentorship programs. Pair experienced employees with less experienced ones to encourage knowledge sharing and mutual growth.
Make time for reflection. Encourage employees to assess their personal development progress and adjust their goals regularly. You can do this during your scheduled coaching sessions each month.
Share success stories. Encourage employees to share their personal development journeys with their colleagues, as this can inspire others and create a culture of continuous learning.
Foster a growth mindset. Emphasize the importance of learning from failures and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than focusing solely on success.
Measure the impact. Track the fruits of personal development initiatives on employee engagement, productivity, and overall business success. Use this data to improve your efforts and demonstrate the value of investing in personal development.
By taking these steps, you can create an environment that encourages the ripple effect of personal development, leading to a more engaged, motivated, and high-performing organization.
